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artography [...] QUALKOMMANDO: 10 YEARS OF TERROR

Thomas Matulla, a member of German speedcore duet Qualkommando, played in Moscow and St. Petersburg at the "Hard-2b-Core 2007" festival. We introduce an interview, which was recorded on this festival.

- When did you start making music? Did you start making music by yourself, and then you began to make music with Matthias, as Qualkommando?

- The first time I made contact with music or musical instruments was in 1995 at the age of 16. I was given it as a present, a simple Casio keyboard. I got in touch with music programs in 1996, it was a cheap PC program, and finished my early development phase in 1997, when I got "Fast Tracker 2", with which we did a lot of tracks. Making music for myself, I start to train skills and I find my style of music. And then, Matthias started as well, in 1997, and we quickly recognized, that we love the same kind of music. And then we decided to start as a duet. In 1997 we met BSE DJ Team at a party, talked to them and got some tips and tricks, and because of this meeting with our idols, we wanted to create music like the Big Boys.

- Did you use hardware synthesizers to create your music?

- Yes, of course. In "Fast Tracker 2" you canТt include synthesizers and stuff like that, hardware synthesizers, so you have to sample it, and put it then into the program. And since 2000 I use "Propellerhead Reason" and some external devices, like drum machine, and other stuff.

- How did you met with Matthias?

- We grew up together. We have been known each other since we were three years old, when we were little children. We did the school together. So, it is long friendship, more then twenty years.

- Your first release on "Brain Distortion" label, was it a split of your and Matthias solo projects?

- No. "Qualkommando Ц Brachial Terror EP", it is not a solo project, it is Qualkommando already. I donТt remember exactly, but "A" side is from me, and the "B" side is from Matthias. Only because we want to divide the both side. So one is mine and the other is MatthiasТs. But it is Qualkommando already.

- How you create your tracks with Matthias at present? You work on each track together, or you make different tracks?

- Because of using different programs we create different tracks. I use "Reason 4", and Matthias uses a tracker. But the 10th anniversary track "The Power Of Darkness" we made together. Matthias visited me when he was on holidays, and we wanted to do some special track for our 10th anniversary being on stage.

- So, you and Matthias live in different cities?

- Yes, I started to move to Hamburg now, and Matthias lives in Munich.

- Except of making a special track, how did you celebrate 10th anniversary of Qualkommando in 2007?

- We didn't celebrate our anniversary, sadly. We wanted to start a big party with all our friends, but a lot of them stopped performing since a couple of years. And the party would require a powerful organization. Yes, sad to say, we missed it. But I guess, last year we celebrated each party as much as we can, with our friends and a lot of other people. And I celebrated the party in Moscow as my best party. I hope the audience saw that!

- Some of the Qualkommando tracks released on "Kopfkrank Records". Is it your and Matthias label?

- No, it is only the label of Matthias. Because he had this idea to make a label and asked me, if I want to join, but I saw it's too much trouble getting the demo stuff and listen to it. And I said: "No, it is just yours". And I have no wide contacts to the scene, so I don't know what is really in and out.

- How do you think, is there a sort of confrontation between speedcore scene and another styles of hardcore?

- Different styles of hardcore can be played on the same party. For example, Terror and Speedcore mostly played on the same parties, but in different rooms. You have got a Terror area, and second floor is a Speedcore area, but you have got two styles on one party.

- Did you have a solo project?

- I don't have Hardcore solo project. We make Qualkommando. This is our project, where I play together with Matthias. I have a solo project, but it is not hardcore music. It is more dub techno, electro, minimal, stuff like that.

- What music you like, what producers, labels?

- My favorite artists are Nordcore G.M.B.H., Angst FB from Hamburg, iGoA from Hamburg, BSE DJ Team. Most of them are old guys started before I started. About labels, I like our own label "Kopfkrank Records", Casa's (The Massacre) "Terrornoize Industry". We released several records on so many labels. It hard to say, which is the best.

- Some Qualkommando tracks released on the "I Hate Trance: 5 Years Of True Dedication To The Underground" CD, dedicated to the "I Hate Trance" party. What can you tell me about this party?

- "I Hate Trance" is a big party in Holland. Mostly it is with two rooms: one Speedcore and Terror floor, and one is Hardcore, Dutchstyle and Mainstyle. And yes, every time it is a cool party.

- How many people come to Speedcore parties in Germany?

- Not so many. About 100-200 people.

- Maybe there is a club for hard music? Where is a parties usually made?

- In Germany most of the time the parties are in old factories and sometimes illegal. Sometimes in small clubs and independent clubs. But I think the scene in Germany is not so big.

- How much Nazism involved in Speedcore scene in Germany?

- I don't know. I think some Nazis go to these parties, but also there are punks and alternative people, and they can celebrate together. I saw this last time on the "Fuckparade" in Berlin. But I think, for my music, I want to keep it unpolitical, keep it clean.

- What kind of contacts you have on Speedcore scene, on Hardcore scene in Europe and in the world? What people you contact with?

- We already have contacts in 36 countries. I have contacts via MySpace and a lot of contacts via ICQ or via e-mail, because my e-mail address is on the homepage, on the website qualkommando.de. I have contact with Casa (The Massacre), with Laurent Ho from France, Lord Nord - former member of Nordcore from Hamburg, Germany. Some Russian producers also, like de.pre55 and Terrorbunny. Well, a lot of people. But I don't have such a contact to the scene, so that I know everybody. I'm just sitting at home making my tracks, and sometimes I get an e-mail or phone call, if I have some new stuff, and label owners and party organizers calls me to play live or to send in some stuff for records. But I am not so deeply involved in the scene.

- What do you think about CD-R releases? Hard music often released on CD-RТs, and some "Kopfkrank Records" releases are on CD-RТs. What do you think about quality of such releases?

- I think, every time it looks better, when CDs are pressed on factory. The design is better. But I think what counts is the music on the record. So it is not so important that tracks are pressed by factories or pressed by yourself on CD-R.

- Did you play at the "Fuckparade"?

- Yes. But not so often. I played this year, and before there was a big break. At all, I played there about a three times. You can see on our web-site in the "Parties" section.

- What do you think about Russian Speedcore scene?

- I really didn't know Russian Speedcore scene, and I was really interested to play in Moscow and St. Petersburg.

- Do you know "MindNepping Records"?

- A little. I downloaded some tracks from the website. Also Terrorbunny and de.pre55 sent me some stuff. Good music.

- What are the plans of "Kopfkrank Records" for the 8th release, what kind of music it will be?

- I can't say too much, because it's not my label, it's a label of Matthias. But I know some things. So, I think on the KKR8 would be good music. Really fast, pumping, like "kickin' the ass". But I can't say more, because Matthias want to keep it in secret. It's more exiting. But I know there will be some famous people on the record. And good sound.

- Do you like Moscow?

- I love it! "Moskva Ц ochen prekrasniy gorod, so mnogimi dos-to-pri-me-cha-tel-nos-tia-mi". Really good, Red Square and the towers. Really nice people, great girls. We fall in love every ten seconds: "Oh, luv ya! Oh, luv ya!" Really great. And a lot of people, they always running, traffic jam all the time. Cool town. I am glad to be here.

- Thank you for the interview.

By Me/Vi (October, 2007)